Update: Two young men die in Parafield Airport fiery plane crash
Investigators – including experts from interstate – are combing through the wreckage of a fiery crash at Parafield Airport that killed two men in their 20s and injured 10 on the ground.
Aviation investigators are combing through the wreckage after a training plane crashed into a hangar, killing two men aged 24 and 29 on board the plane and injuring 10 on the ground.
The four-seat, twin-engine plane was in the air for a short time before crashing into the hangar at Parafield Airport, north of Adelaide, shortly after 2pm on Wednesday.
A flight instructor and their student pilot have been revealed as the duo killed, while ten people inside the hangar were injured.
A 55-year-old man from Underdale was left with life-threatening burns, while two more remain in serious conditions.
They are currently being treated at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, along with a fourth person who suffered minor injuries.
A further six people were treated for smoke inhalation at the Lyell McEwin and Modbury hospitals.
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Aviation investigators spent Thursday morning combing through wreckage at the hangar, which was holding several other aircraft as well as a significant amount of fuel.
Australian Transport Safety Bureau chief Angus Mitchell said the training plane had been doing a circuit in the lead-up to the crash.
“We do know that quite tragically the instructor and the student have lost their lives,” he told ABC TV.
He said investigators were looking into the nature of the flight, its take off, and whether it was part of “structured training”.
“We’re yet to find that out,” Mitchell said.
The hangar was being used for maintenance, aircraft storage and included a classroom space.
Metropolitan Fire Service chief officer Jeff Swann said impact from the crash had knocked out the hangar’s internal sprinkler system.
On arrival, he said firefighters were faced with “really thick, black smoke and intense flames”.
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“These flames were further intensified by a significant amount of fuel inside the hangar, and also the fact that the aircraft had impacted the fire hydrant system,” Swann said.
The ATSB investigation has been bolstered by experts from Canberra and Brisbane, who arrived at the scene on Thursday morning.
They are undertaking site and wreckage examination, and recovering aircraft components for examination at technical facilities in Canberra.
Parafield Airport will remain closed while investigations are carried out, SA Police said in a statement.
Speaking on Wednesday, Premier Peter Malinauskas said he had “just been briefed by the Commissioner for Police on the tragic incident at Parafield this afternoon, where a small plane has crashed into a hangar”.
“Tragically, two people have lost their lives, and a number of others have been injured. My thoughts are with the families and loved ones of those who have passed away, and with everyone affected by this devastating event.”
The airfield was closed following the crash, which was attended by 57 firefighters.
“I want to sincerely thank our first responders, including South Australia Police, SA Ambulance and Metropolitan Fire Service, for their swift and courageous response under very difficult circumstances,” Malinauskas said.
The latest incident comes after another in January, when a learner pilot crashed on takeoff at the airport, nosediving into the runway and starting a fire.
-with AAP
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